


Everybody Wants To Put Me Down

by queenofthefuckinggoblins7



Series: Somebody to Love [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29238288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofthefuckinggoblins7/pseuds/queenofthefuckinggoblins7
Summary: Harry has found his soulmate, and things seem to finally be looking up. But there's no shortage of obstacles coming his way.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Blaise Zabini
Series: Somebody to Love [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2122170
Comments: 24
Kudos: 176





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is turning out to be longer than I thought, so welcome to my first chaptered fic! I'm shooting for weekly updates, but no promises.   
> Unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine.

Much to Harry’s surprise, it would end up being astonishingly easy for Lady Zabini to gain custody of him. He wasn’t quite sure on the details, something about there being precedent for orphans going to their soulmate’s family instead of their next of kin. That Lady Zabini also had quite a lot of money to hurry the proceedings along would also help quite a bit. But Harry couldn’t help worrying that Blaise and his mother didn’t quite know what all they were getting into, throwing their lot in with him. It ate at him the whole train ride home.

Harry still hadn’t told Ron about Blaise being his soulmate, and while Hermione knew who it was, there hadn’t been any time for Harry to get her alone to explain why _he_ hadn’t known until Sirius let it slip. Frankly, Harry was worried about Ron’s reaction to Harry’s soulmate being a Slytherin. Especially with all the rumors surrounding Lady Zabini’s numerous marriages. All this led to Harry lying through his teeth to his friends and the other Weasley’s at Kings Cross, that his relatives would be a bit late coming to pick him up and he would just wait at the station, and no, there was no need for them to wait with him, he would be just fine.

Once they were all off, Harry made his way over to where Blaise had secluded himself behind a pillar while waiting for him. The plan was to meet Lady Zabini at a private room at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry had insisted on meeting before she started proceedings, there was so much she needed to know first.

Just outside the door to the reserved room, Blaise took his hand and squeezed. “Don’t be nervous, she’ll adore you.”

Harry took a deep breath, nodded, and opened the door. Inside was possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Skin a shade or two darker than Blaise’s own rich brown, long hair in dozens of braids artfully piled atop her head, and indigo eyes matching her son’s. Blaise led Harry to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before pulling Harry up next to him.

“Mama, this is Harry Potter, my soulmate. Harry, my mother, Lady Ariadne Zabini.”

“I-it’s nice to meet you Lady Zabini,” Harry cursed his voice for breaking.

He tried not to fidget as she gave him a look over, knowing that in Dudley’s clothes he looked like a street urchin. He startled a bit when she took his face in her hands, tilting it this way and that.

“New clothes are a priority, as well as glasses. No reason to hide such gorgeous eyes behind such ugly frames. Good bone structure. Overall, quite lovely, and you’ll be lovelier still after I’m through with you.” She said, seemingly to herself.

Harry had blushed as red as a tomato, and Blaise was looking upward in exasperation. “Mama, you’re embarrassing him.”

“Forgive me, my darling. It is wonderful to meet you at last, Mr. Potter.” Lady Zabini replied, releasing Harry. She sat back, allowing them to get settled across from her, before continuing, “Now, I understand you have some concerns about being placed in my care?”

“No! That is, there’s some things I have to tell you that you need to know before deciding whether to take me in or not.” Harry stumbled over his words in his haste to reassure her. “Some of it is going to sound a bit crazy, but it’s true.” He debated about the best way to word it before just blurting out, “Voldemort’s not dead.”

Blaise and his mother both flinched at the name, gazing at him with disbelief. Harry gave them a quick rundown of his first year escapades with Quirelldemort, and Dumbledore’s subsequent explanation about the blood wards over his relative’s house. “So really, you’d be going against Dumbledore too, and I know he’s got a lot of influence, and really it’s too much to ask of anyone to go against them both, not to mention how much danger you’ll be in-“ Harry babbled, cutting himself off when Lady Zabini raised a hand to stop him.

“That is quite a lot to take in,” she started, ignoring the betrayed look Blaise sent her, “However, Blaise has chosen to stand by you, and I shall as well.”

Harry’s eyes burned as he fought back tears. He’d never had an adult care so much about his wellbeing before. The Dursley’s certainly hadn’t, Dumbledore seemed to care more about the blood wards, and the Weasley’s followed Dumbledore’s lead. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and asked, “So what now?”

“Now, we go home, and within the next week or two all shall be taken care of legally.” She stood, and beckoned them to join her, pulling a long silver necklace from her bag. “Have you travelled by portkey, Harry?”

Harry shook his head. Lady Zabini held out the necklace, “Take hold of this and I will activate it. It can be quite disorientating the first time, brace yourself.”

Once they had all grabbed hold, Lady Zabini called out, “Zabini Manor,” and they were off. Harry felt a forceful tug at his navel, and the next thing he knew, he was on his hands and knees trying not to throw up. Blaise helped him to his feet, holding on to him as he swayed. When Harry turned, he saw a large mansion, and behind it, below the cliffs was his first sight of the ocean. As he gazed in awe he heard Blaise whisper to him.

“Welcome home, Harry.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, posting two days in a row!   
> This chapter will finish out summer, and next time we're back at Hogwarts.   
> As always, enjoy!

After getting Harry settled in his new room (the one right across from Blaise’s, with Lady Zabini being on the floor above), Blaise immediately led him down the cliff side to the Manor’s private beach. Harry had admitted he couldn’t swim, so they passed the evening wading in the shallows and lolling about in the sand. It was utterly and completely relaxing.

When the sun had set, the boys reluctantly returned to the Manor. Harry lay on his bed, not entirely sure that he wasn’t dreaming. He had the sudden fear that he would wake up in the morning to Aunt Petunia rapping on his door and demanding that he make breakfast. Spending much of the next hour tossing and turning, Harry finally gave up on sleep for the time being. Another few moments of indecision, and he found himself shuffling across the hall to Blaise’s door, knocking quietly. He’d just about convinced himself that Blaise was asleep when he heard a soft “Come in.”

Harry opened the door and stepped through, closing it behind him. Blaise was indeed in bed and Harry immediately felt guilty, “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“Not quite, I was just settling in. Is something wrong?” Blaise asked as he sat up.

“No, I’m just restless I suppose,” Harry deflected.

Blaise raised an eyebrow at him and raised his bed covers, “Come on then, get in.”

“What?” Harry said, dumbly.

“Get in. We can chat for a bit, maybe that will help calm you down.” Blaise jostled the covers again.

Harry only hesitated another moment before crawling into bed and lying down beside Blaise. His cheeks felt hot, and he could only hope that it was dark enough not to be seen. They were on their sides facing each other, and once comfortable Blaise reached out and clasped Harry’s hand in his own.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Blaise looked into his eyes intently.

“I need to talk to you about something, and I need you to not interrupt so I can get it all out.” Harry said in a rush. Blaise’s look turned worried but he merely nodded his head and waited. “I think we should still keep us secret. I know your mum said that she was behind us, and I don’t want you to think I’m ashamed in any way. Truth is, I’m scared. People who get close to me tend to get hurt, or caught up in whatever disaster comes my way. Not to mention that you’ll be in the Slytherin dorms and most Slytherins hate me or at least keep to themselves. If we go public they’ll turn on you in an instant. I don’t want you to be miserable because of me.”

Blaise took a deep breath, “Now it’s your turn to listen. There is no way that I would be miserable because of you. The time that we get to spend together makes me so happy, you have no idea. And it’s not enough. You’re one of my best friends Harry, soulmate or not. I knew very well what I was getting into when I decided I wanted to be in your life. Mother has been training me and recommending spells for me to learn so that I can better defend myself against whoever I need to. I won’t force you, but please don’t ask me to hide anymore.”

Harry choked back a sob and cuddled in closer, feeling Blaise’s arm wrap around him, tucking his face against Blaise’s chest. “Okay. Okay, how about this? All that we hide is the fact that we’re soulmates, and just for now. We can tell the truth that we’ve been friends since second year. That way we can still be together in public, but you won’t have quite as big a target on your back.”

Blaise hummed, “I don’t like it, but I’ll agree to it. What about our friends?”

“Hermione knows you’re my soulmate, that’s it. I haven’t told Ron at all, he’s pretty anti-Slytherin, but I’ll work on him. I don’t mind you telling whoever you trust.” Harry confided.

“Thank you, I’ve been wanting to tell my friends for a while now. Just Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis, I know they’d keep my secrets.” Blaise promised.

They both went quiet after that, still cuddled close. After several minutes Harry convinced himself that he should go back to his own bed, no matter how reluctant he was to do so. He had never been held before, and it felt so nice. He gathered his resolve and began to pull away, only for Blaise to tighten the arm he had around Harry.

“Stay? You’re warm and it’s comfortable. Just for tonight.” Blaise murmured.

Harry hesitated and then settled back in, “Yeah, alright. Good night.”

It only took a moment before Harry drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and cared for.

*

July flew by in a haze of lounging by the beach and exploring the Italian country side. When Harry had admitted that he had never celebrated his birthday before, Blaise and his mother went all out. Lady Zabini took them to Rome, and they spent the day traversing the city and eating far too much gelato.

Harry had exchanged a few owls with his friends, but he had yet to tell them where he was staying. Though he had admitted it to Sirius in one of his letters, thankfully Sirius had taken it well. The Weasley’s had gotten tickets to the Quidditch World Cup and had invited Harry along, as well as extending the invitation to stay with them for the rest of the summer. Harry had debated with himself for a couple days before replying. On the one hand, he didn’t want to leave, it was relaxing here, and he didn’t want to wait a month to see Blaise again. On the other hand, he _really_ wanted to go to the World Cup. In the end, Blaise encouraged him to go, knowing Harry would regret it if he didn’t. In order to avoid spilling his secret, Harry had told the Weasley’s that he would simply take the Knight Bus to the Burrow. Harry didn’t like keeping things from them, but he just wasn’t ready to let anyone else know about his soulmate. So much of his life was out there for everyone to see, Harry wanted something for himself.

The World Cup was fantastic; then it was horrifying.

By the time they made it back to the Burrow Harry was exhausted. He hadn’t been able to sleep after getting back to the tent, and it was catching up with him now. All he wanted was to go up to Ron’s room and sleep for a week. Then he caught sight of the Daily Prophet and he knew Blaise was likely losing his mind. Ron was busy shoveling food down his throat as fast as he could, so Harry took advantage of the solitude to mirror call Blaise.

“Blaise Zabini.”

“ _Harry_. Thank Merlin. You’re alright, aren’t you? Tell me you’re alright.” Blaise was frantic, his eyes darting across Harry’s face to whatever else he could see of him through the mirror.

“I’m fine, I promise. I’ll send a letter later about what all happened, but I knew you’d want to see for yourself as soon as possible.”

“You look tired. Sleep first, then you can write.” Blaise demanded.

Harry smiled, “Okay, okay. I’m headed to bed now, I’ll call again soon.”

It was good timing, just as Harry had put the mirror away Ron had come up to get some rest of his own. Harry lay awake for a little while longer, he felt a little guilty for not telling Blaise or Lady Zabini about his dreams of Voldemort. He didn’t want to worry them even more than he already did, but what with the Dark Mark being seen at the Cup, it was probably time. He’d include a note to Lady Zabini when he wrote Blaise later that afternoon. With that thought, Harry finally fell into a restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Hogwarts we go! 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's left comments and kudos, y'all brighten my day!

In no time at all, Harry found himself back at Hogwarts. The morning after the Welcome Feast had Blaise cornering him in their abandoned classroom, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Merlin, at this rate you’re going to give me gray hairs already.” Blaise muttered, his lips against Harry’s hair.

Harry felt his stomach twist, “I’m sorry, I-“

“Hey, no.” Blaise cut in, “It was just a joke. Mostly. It isn’t your fault that trouble follows you everywhere.”

That…didn’t really make Harry feel much better, but he tried to take it in the spirit in which it was intended. Harry stepped back and looked up at Blaise, “So I was wondering, since we decided we weren’t gonna hide anymore, if you maybe wanted to go sit by the lake together? It’s a nice day, and all-“ Harry cut himself off before he could keep babbling. Merlin, he needed to get a grip.

There was a slight pause and then Blaise’s face lit up with a bright smile. “I’d love to.”

Typically he was more reserved with his emotions around other people, and Harry was pleased that he was one of the privileged few that Blaise didn’t guard himself from. They got a few looks from the students they passed, and Harry knew it would be all over the castle by day’s end. He had hoped once they got to the lake they’d have some peace, but it looked like many of the other students had had the same idea to have one last lazy day before classes officially began. Harry resigned himself to the staring and sat on the blanket Blaise had conjured for them. They spend the rest of the morning chatting about inane topics, just in case anyone was trying to eavesdrop. When lunch time rolled around, they walked to the Great Hall together. Just outside the doors were Ron and Hermione, Ron’s jaw had dropped and his face was turning red. _Here goes nothing_ Harry thought. He muttered a quick goodbye to Blaise before heading towards his friends.

“Mate?” Ron ground out.

“Let’s sit down first,” Harry said, and led the way to the end of the table by the doors. Hopefully that would keep fewer people from sitting nearby and trying to listen in.

As soon as they sat Ron was right back at it, “Well?”

Harry sighed, “Blaise and I-“

“Blaise?!” Ron cut in.

“Are you going to let me talk or not?” Harry bit out. Merlin this was already not going well. He continued when Ron finally kept quiet, “Blaise and I have been friends for a while now. Since second year, actually. At first I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d tell me that he was a slimy Slytherin and that he was only getting close to me to hurt me. And I knew that was a possibility, but as time went on we got close and really became friends. After that, I didn’t tell you because I liked having something that was just mine, that no one else knew about. But now we’ve decided that we’re not going to hide it anymore. I’m sorry I kept it from you.”

Ron’s face had gotten steadily redder and he seemed beyond words now, huffing angrily as he filled his plate. Hermione opened her mouth, only to close it just as quickly. Harry had an idea of what she wanted to ask, and was once again grateful for society’s insistence that asking about soulmates was terribly rude and to never do so in public.

“Anything else that you’re hiding from us?” Ron bit out.

“Yes. Some of it I’ll tell you later in private and some of it I might not tell you for a while. But I will tell you eventually, when I’m ready.” Harry would stay firm on this. As much as he loved his friends, some things weren’t easy to talk about. He’d tell them about Blaise being his soulmate, and that he lived with him now, likely sooner rather than later. Detailing why he hadn’t known about Blaise until last year, though, was pretty far off.

Lunch remained a tense affair, even with Hermione doing her best to ease it, going on at length about the upcoming Triwizard Tournament and the schools that would be attending. Any other time, Harry would have found it much more interesting, but now he just wanted to finish eating and head somewhere quiet.

*

Once classes began, things went mostly back to normal. Things were still strained between Ron and Harry, though both of them acted as if nothing were wrong. Now Ron and Hermione knew that when he disappeared he was likely with Blaise. On that front, it was much better. They were able to spend more time together, studying in the library, walking the grounds, or even back in their classroom hideout. Harry had worried about the other Slytherins, mostly Malfoy, turning on Blaise. The only time Malfoy had tried to call him out, Blaise had whispered something to him to make him turn pale, and from then on, Malfoy left Blaise alone. He still went after Harry, but Harry was used to that. All in all, as September rolled into October, it was turning out to be a pretty great year so far.

Then Harry’s name came out of the Goblet of Fire. He was really starting to think Halloween was cursed. No one in the antechamber seemed to believe him except McGonagall. And really, why was Snape even _there_? Not even Sprout was there, and she was Cedric’s Head of House. Greasy git couldn’t help himself but make Harry’s life miserable at every given opportunity. After they were released Harry trudged to Gryffindor Tower. Dumbledore had mentioned something about a party and Harry hoped he was wrong. He just wanted to hole up with Ron and Hermione for the night, and maybe eat copious amounts of sugar to drown his sorrows. But up at the Tower, there was indeed a party going on. He couldn’t believe that even the twins thought he’d put his name in. Harry didn’t see Ron anywhere and up in the dorm the curtains around Ron’s bed were closed. Harry decided to follow suit, maybe in the morning this would all have turned out to be a bad dream.

*

The next morning is not better. In fact, it was much worse. _Ron doesn’t believe me._ And god did that thought hurt. Ron had been the first friend he ever had. Hermione claimed that he knew Harry hadn’t actually put his name in the Goblet, that he was just jealous of all the attention Harry gets. What a fucking joke. As if Harry wanted to be famous, as if Harry wouldn’t trade almost anything to just be _normal._ As he walked the grounds with Hermione another thought punched him in the gut. _What if Blaise doesn’t believe me either?_ Harry didn’t think he’d be able to stand it if that were true. He didn’t want to think Blaise would be capable of such, but what with Ron, Harry couldn’t be sure anymore. _But I’m about to find out._ He thought, as he saw Blaise approaching them from the corner of his eye.

“I suppose it’s too much to ask for one year that you’re not in any danger, is it? Does Dumbledore have any ideas as to who put your name in?” Blaise drawled as he drew up to them.

“You believe me then?” _Don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry._

“Of course I believe you. The look on your face when your name was called was proof enough. Not to mention that you know I’d kill you myself if you ever did something like this intentionally.” Blaise looked a little piqued that Harry had even asked.

Harry snorted, eyes feeling wet. _Don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry._

Blaise looked at him, then Hermione, “Where’s Weasley?”

“He-He thinks I put my name in.” Harry promptly lost that battle as tears quietly ran down his face.

“That bloody _wanker.”_ Blaise said furiously. He wrapped an arm around Harry’s waist, pulling him into his side.

Hermione had been silent so far, but took the opportunity to speak up, “He’s just jealous is all, I’m sure he’ll come around given some time.”

“Don’t excuse him so easily. He can be jealous all he wants, but feeling something and acting on it are two different things.” Blaise bit out.

Harry had mostly pulled himself together at that point, and he wanted to head this off to avoid any more fighting. “We can talk about it later, right now I really just want to hide for a bit. You can go back up to the castle, Hermione, and I’ll see you in a bit yeah?”

Hermione gave a reluctant nod and walked away. Harry and Blaise continued on, nearing the quidditch stands. They ducked underneath the nearest one, after making sure it was empty of couples looking for a place to snog.

“Did they tell you what the first task is going to be?” Blaise leaned up against a beam.

“No, we won’t know until the task itself. They want to test our ‘courage’.” Harry definitely wasn’t bitter. Not at all.

“What a load of shite.”

“Yeah,” Harry sighed.

“I wrote to mother last night, but she’ll be expecting to hear from you too. In her last letter she mentioned that you haven’t been writing.” Blaise gave him a pointed look and Harry flushed a bit.

“I hadn’t really thought about it. I’ve never really had anyone to write to during the school year before. I’ll send her a letter tonight,” he promised.

They stayed there for a few hours, Harry unwilling to face the masses yet, and Blaise keeping him company. When it came time for lunch, Harry decided that further avoidance was necessary and led the way to the kitchens. He’d often shown up to their classroom with various snacks but he’d never taken Blaise along before. They made it to the portrait and Harry tickled the pear, grinning at the amused noise Blaise let out.

“This castle is ridiculous,” he muttered.

“No arguments here,” Harry laughed.

He startled when his name was shouted from across the room. “Harry Potter sir! Dobby being so happy to see you again!”

“Dobby?!” Harry’s jaw dropped as he caught sight of the elf.

After being shuffled inside, Dobby told him all about how he was working in the castle now, and even getting paid. The other elves seemed to be embarrassed for him, but Harry was glad to see that Dobby was genuinely happy.

Eventually, Dobby ran out of steam and looked at Blaise for the first time. Harry realized he hadn’t introduced them, “Dobby, this is my friend Blaise. Blaise, this is Dobby, the elf I freed from the Malfoy’s.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Dobby,” Blaise said bemusedly.

The rest of lunch was spent catching up with Dobby, hearing all about Winky and her drinking problem, and regaling Blaise with a much more detailed version of how exactly Dobby had been freed.

This had been just the distraction he needed.

*

The next few weeks were an exercise in patience for Harry. What with the rest of the school turning on him, those awful badges, and that ridiculous article by Skeeter, he thought he was holding up rather well. Though, that was largely due to Blaise and Hermione. He had no clue what he’d do without them; especially since Ron was still being an arsehole.

As the First Task grew ever closer, Harry felt his anxiety spiking. How the hell do you prepare for something you don’t know anything about? Lady Zabini had sent along a list of spells that would be generally useful, but Harry was still only a fourth year. The others had at least two years of knowledge that he didn’t and there was no way he could catch up in time.

Harry hadn’t really wanted to visit Hogsmeade, but Hermione insisted he needed a break. He agreed to go, but only under his cloak. Sitting at their table, Harry couldn’t help but hope that Sirius had something helpful to tell him that night, while also being insanely worried about Sirius getting caught. The last thing Harry needed right now was yet another thing to stress about.

He was startled out of his thoughts when Moody addressed him, a little chagrined at the reminder that Moody could see through his cloak. That was forgotten the instant Hagrid asked him to meet him at midnight at his hut. It was going to be a close shave, getting back in time to see Sirius, but Hagrid had seemed pretty earnest.

It wasn’t until later that night that Harry understood why. He stood frozen outside the clearing, jets of flame streaking across his vision.

_Dragons._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies!   
> Forgive me for my lack of chapter last week, but I have returned!   
> As always, this is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine.   
> Enjoy!

Harry felt sick to his stomach as he listened to Charlie Weasley tell Hagrid all about the dragons being nesting mothers, and how the champions only had to get past them. _Only._ Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Karkaroff skulking away and it broke him out of his daze. Hagrid was quite occupied with Madame Maxime, so Harry found no reason not to leave. If he was going to have a panic attack, better it be in the comfort of his dorm.

He managed to keep it together long enough to talk with Sirius (who warned him about Karkaroff being a Death Eater), get to his bed, and place silencing charms around it. Then, and only then, did he allow himself to break down. It was a holdover from his time with the Dursley’s, the ability to power through until given the time to break. Even so, he wouldn’t thank them for it. His eyes stung, he felt so cold, he couldn’t breathe couldn’t breathe _couldn’t breathe._

Harry came back to himself in stages. By the time he was fully aware, it had passed from late night to early morning. While far too early for the others to be awake, there was no point in going to sleep now. He dragged himself to the bathroom and stood under the shower for a long time. After he dressed, he cast a tempus. It was only just five in the morning; he had another hour or so before breakfast started. Laying back down on his bed, Harry planned out his day. He’d need a Pepper-Up potion to combat not sleeping, then he could head straight to the Library. If he was to be forced to face a dragon, he’d be as prepared as he could get.

Once it got close enough to six, Harry was off to the Hospital Wing.

“To what do I owe the early visit, Mr. Potter?” Madam Pomfrey asked, one eyebrow arched.

“I didn’t sleep well, nightmares. I was hoping to get a Pepper-Up from you.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, Harry did often have nightmares, and he was sure that had he slept last night they would have heavily featured dragons.

Madam Pomfrey softened, “Of course, dear. Best not to make it a habit. If the nightmares persist come see me and we can discuss remedies, yes?”

“Yes, Madam Pomfrey, thank you.” Harry tossed the potion back quickly, grimacing at the taste. He hightailed it out of the Hospital wing before Pomfrey could find a way to keep him there all day.

Harry gave a passing thought towards breakfast as he passed the Great Hall, but with the way his stomach was roiling he didn’t think he’d be able to keep it down. Best to just avoid all that, really. There were already a few students in the library, mostly upper year Ravenclaws and Slytherins. Making his way to the section on dragons, Harry was vividly reminded of finding Hagrid there in first year. Who knows, maybe Norberta would be the dragon he had to face. At this point it wouldn’t even surprise him.

Diving into the books only had his hopes dwindling with each page. _Claw clipping, mating habits, potion uses; bloody hell this is all useless shite._ A bolt of excitement shot through him when he finally found a passage about subduing, only to plummet into despair as the book detailed the need for multiple wizards casting simultaneously. Surely one of the other books had something that could help him, this couldn’t be everything.

“ _Harry!”_ came a sharp hiss. He jolted in surprise, jerking his head up to see Hermione coming towards him looking furious, Blaise trailing behind her. _Oh no._ “We’ve been looking everywhere for you, it’s almost time for class! How long have you been in here? Did you even go to breakfast? ”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize how late it’s gotten.” Harry sighed. The duo sat at the table and stared at him expectantly.

“When I couldn’t find you this morning I spoke to Blaise but he hadn’t seen you either.” Hermione’s eyes narrowed onto the titles, “Harry. Why do you have so many books about dragons? Please don’t tell me Hagrid has another egg and that’s what he needed you for last night.”

Blaise looked between the two of them, “ _Another_ egg?”

Harry snorted, “No egg, thank Merlin. I’ll tell you that story later, Blaise. But, uh. Dragons. That’s the first task.”

“What.” Came the flat reply from them both.

“I saw them. There’s four, one for each champion I guess. Charlie was there and he told Hagrid that we only have to get past them. But none of these books have anything helpful! How the bloody hell am I supposed to face a dragon?!” Harry could feel himself falling back into hysteria. He felt a hand grab hold of his and he startled, jerking up to meet Blaise’s eyes.

“Breathe, Harry. It’ll be alright, just breathe.” Blaise continued to murmur softly, thumb running over the back of Harry’s hand.

The panic faded far faster than it had the night before. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Hermione watching them with a peculiar look on her face. He didn’t have time to worry about it though; they had to head to class before they were late. Before they parted ways they made plans to meet back in the library at lunch. Three heads are better than one, after all, and nobody was better at research than Hermione.

As they walked down the hall, Harry caught sight of wavy hair, a bright grin, and Hufflepuff yellow. He stopped dead. _Cedric didn’t know about the dragons._ Maxime and Karkaroff were sure to have told their champions already, which meant Cedric would be the only one going in blind. Waving Hermione on, Harry tailed behind Cedric and his friends for a few moments before sending a cutting charm to the strap on Cedric’s bag. It took him a few minutes to convince Cedric that he was telling the truth, but in the end the older boy took his word for it.

“Potter.”

Harry near jumped out of his skin at the bark. He whirled around and came face to face with Moody. _Circe’s tits! Where the bloody hell had he come from?_ Despite Harry’s protests, Moody strong armed him into his office. Harry thought he was done for when Moody commented about the dragons and Cedric, but the old man just kept dropping cryptic hints.

“You’re allowed a wand.” Moody emphasized. 

Harry left the office deep in thought. Now all he had to do was learn to summon his broom to outfly a dragon.

_How hard could it be?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not certain how much I like this chapter, but between struggling with my muse and my laptop having issues, I wanted to post it and move on.  
> I have a fondness for using 'Wix' and 'Wixen' as it's inclusive and less to type out lol.  
> Thanks for sticking around, I love you all!!

_Pretty bloody hard, as it turns out._

Learning the Summoning Charm was hard enough, which was bloody stupid. Harry’s the first to admit he’s no genius, but he generally doesn’t have to much trouble learning new spells. Figures that the one he was desperate to perfect is the one he’s had the most issues with. But he gets the hang of it just in time, Hermione and Blaise having holed up in abandoned classrooms to help him practice. Harry knows he would have crumbled long before without their support.

If learning the charm was difficult, out flying a dragon was almost _easy._ There’s something about being on a broom, about flying, that just feels so _right_. His brain quiets, the world coming into sharp focus. To be honest, Harry almost doesn’t even remember the Task itself. It’s a mess of blurs and emotions in his head, which is perhaps for the best.

After, people swarm to congratulate him.

After, there is Ron standing by nervously.

After, there is a cry for a party in the Tower.

All Harry really wants is to rest. He makes an appearance at the party, though it clearly will go on just fine without him. Rather than head to his dormitory, Harry makes his way to where he knows Blaise will be waiting for him. They’ve made a haven out of their classroom with Dobby’s help. There’s quite a bit of unused furniture around the castle apparently. Now they have a couch, a few blankets, and a veritable mountain of cushions. Blaise is lounging on the couch, book in hand. He makes no move to look up as Harry walks over and curls into his side, resting his head on Blaise’s shoulder. It’s quiet for a few long moments.

“You’re going to forgive Weasley just like that, aren’t you?” It’s more a statement than a question.

Harry hums, “Yes and no. In a way I already have, he was my first friend, and my best friend. We’ve been through a lot. At the same time, it still hurts. Mostly I want to put all of this behind us.”

“You’re far too forgiving,” Blaise mutters.

“Maybe so, but it’s my choice. I don’t need you to forgive him. I don’t even need you to like him, though that would be preferable. I’ll settle for you being civil, yeah?”

Blaise sighs and puts his arm around Harry’s shoulders, tugging him in even closer. “Alright.”

“Thanks,” Harry breaths. He’s having trouble keeping his eyes open.

“Are you falling asleep on me?” Blaise sounds amused. Harry wants to reply, but he’s so comfortable, and Blaise is so warm. “No, come on. Up. You can’t sleep here.”

Harry makes a vague sound of protest and wriggles as Blaise prods his sides. After a particularly pointed jab, he stands up, grumbling all the while. “Alright, alright, I’m up.” 

Just before they reach the door, Blaise tugs him to a stop and into his arms. “You’re very clingy tonight,” Harry remarked.

“Oh, hush. I had to watch you face a dragon today, I think I’m perfectly in the right to be a bit more tactile than usual.” Blaise mumbled into his hair. 

“Whatever you say,” Harry said, though he made no effort to move away. 

“Goodnight, Harry.” He felt Blaise press his lips against his hair, and then Blaise was gone. Harry stood in the doorway a moment longer, wondering if perhaps he had imagined the whole thing. 

\---

The following week was an exercise in patience. Apparently his expert flying and first place position meant he was no longer reviled by the whole school. Oh, the Slytherins still hated him of course, and the Hufflepuffs were still a bit cool towards him, but overall people weren’t quite so vicious. Harry was just happy to have Ron back. 

They'd spoken a bit, late the night after the task. Ron wrestling with his jealousy and guilt, and Harry expounding how much he'd been hurting. It had done wonders towards repairing their friendship. It wasn't quite what it had been, but they'd get through it. 

Harry had been relieved to have some time before the next task, especially since the one time he’d opened the egg he’d closed it again so fast he’d almost smashed his fingers. But at least there wasn’t anything else to really stress about besides schoolwork for the time being right? 

Wrong. 

Not only did he have to attend the Yule Ball, he needed a _date._ He had to learn how to _dance._ He had to open the Ball and dance in front of _all three schools._ One would suppose that after a little over three years in the Wix world he would have gotten used to being famous. One would be mistaken. 

The dancing would be bad, but bearable. But who was he supposed to take to the ball? He knew who he’d like to take, of course. A certain tall, dark skinned Italian came to mind. Merlin but the looks on everyone’s faces if they went together. They were just supposed to be friends though. Blaise had largely avoided punishment from his house due to his family name and reputation, but would that still be the case if people thought they were more than friends? _Were_ they more than friends? Now Harry had a headache. 

A day or two of angsting over whether or not to ask, and Harry had decided. After dinner tonight he was going to ask Blaise to be his date. Perhaps they could spin it to the others that they were going as friends, but Harry was determined that he and Blaise would know it for the date it would be. His first date. Now he was even more nervous. But Harry was a Gryffindor right? Right. He slipped a note into Blaise’s hand during potions, asking him to meet up that night to ‘study’. That would give Harry time to gather his courage and to figure out what to say. 

Harry was running late that evening, so Blaise was already settled in writing an essay by the time he got there. He grabbed a cushion and settled on the floor at Blaise’s feet, figuring it’d be easier if he didn’t have to look at him. 

“When you’re done, will you look over my potions essay?” Harry asked. 

“Of course, set it over here for now,” Blaise replied. 

Several long moments passed filled with only the sounds of pages turning and quills on parchment. The silence felt crushing to Harry, and he blurted, “Did Snape have to give the Slytherins dancing lessons for the ball?” 

“No, most of us learned to dance as children and those who haven’t find another student to teach them,” Blaise said absently. 

“Lucky,” Harry grumbled. “We have to have lessons with Mcgonagall.”

Blaise snorted, “I would pay to see that.” 

“Quiet you,” Harry pouted. Another stretch of nothing. “Seems like all anyone can talk about is who they hope to go with,” Harry tried to make it sound casual. 

Blaised hummed in agreement. “Daphne was asked by a Beauxbatons boy the day it was announced. Tracey’s not very interested in dating at the moment so she asked me to go with her as friends.” 

Harry’s brain screeched to a halt. “O-oh?”

“Yes, it’ll be nice to enjoy the night without the expectations of a true date. Have you given any thought to who you’ll ask?” Blaise inquired. 

_You. You! Goddammit._ “Not really.”

“Best get on that, you’ll want to get some dance practice in with your partner before the big night.” 

“Y-yeah, makes sense. I, ah, just remembered I promised Ron a game of chess tonight. See you later?” Harry gathered up his things as quickly as he could, haphazardly shoving them into his bag. 

“Oh, alright. Are you okay, Harry? You look a little flushed.” Blaise frowned up at him. 

“Fine, fine! Just don’t wanna rock the boat with Ron since we’re getting along again. Talk to you tomorrow!” With that Harry was out the door and rushing down the hallway, the whole walk up to the dorms trying to ignore the sinking in his stomach and the crushing disappointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Harry can't catch a break. I debated actually having them go together, but teenage angst won out.


End file.
